Dangerously in Love
by Julia101
Summary: *Set after Alex Saves Mason* After reuniting with Mason, Alex puts their relationship in danger when she unknowingly gives evidence to help Wizard Officials hunt down all werewolves and destroy them for good.
1. Chapter 1

**After finishing watching _Alex Saves Mason/Wizards Unleashed_, I came up with this story. This first chapter just introduces the situation but the real story behind this will become clear later on. I'll post a few chapters and if you like it, let me know and I'll continue**.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

"I'd better get going love, the full moon's about to rise," Mason told me, kissing me quickly on the cheek before speeding away. "I'll be back tomorrow for our date."

I smiled and nodded. Even though we'd managed to turn Mason back human after we'd rescued him from those twisted country wizards, he still turned into a werewolf every full moon. Not that I minded much; as long as he turned back to a human afterward, all was fine with me.

"You know, I'm really proud of you Alex."

I swung myself around on the chair by the counter to face Harper who was standing beside Justin while he wiped dishes.

"Why is that Harper?"

"Because you're being so accepting of Mason's werewolf side. If it was me, I'd be so annoyed that my boyfriend ran out on me all the time and canceled dates because he had to run out into the forest to go hunting."

My anger pricked up but mostly because even though Harper thought otherwise, she was right. It did annoy me sometimes when he had to run out but I always brushed this away because I loved him and it wasn't worth it to be without him; wolf or no wolf.

"Sometimes it's better that we have some time to be apart. I mean it's not like we can go out when he's a werewolf, even if he's in that 'in-between' state. Remember how well that turned out last time?"

I shuddered when I brought back memories of Zeke's birthday party. I'd been so embarrassed to be seen with him that I'd almost drove him away. I'd gotten over those insecurities and not cared what anyone else thought but I knew it bothered him sometimes, no matter how nonchalant he acted. The way people stared at him sometimes hurt him and when he hurt, so did I.

"Lucky Justin saved the day like he always does," my brother muttered, wiping a glass before putting it away.

I leaned over and punched his shoulder lightly. "Yep, you're a real hero. One who still wears his Captain Jim Bob Sherwood boxer shorts."

Harper giggled and Justin blushed, grimacing at me before heading upstairs. I turned to her. "Since Mason will be spending tonight howling at the moon, want to have a movie night?"

Harper shook her head, her green hat almost falling off. "Just because you've been ditched tonight, doesn't mean no one else has plans," she remarked, poking her tongue out at me playfully.

I felt a twinge of jealousy flare up in me but I did my best to hide it. "I haven't been ditched, it's not my fault my boyfriend's a werewolf," I countered defensively.

I couldn't but feel a little stunned. Who'd have thought that I'd be dateless on a Friday night and Harper would be having dinner with Zeke's family? Things have certainly changed.

Harper grinned. "Whoa, watch the temper," she said cheerfully, patting me on the head before prancing out the door.

I sighed and glanced down at the glowing necklace around my neck; I'd begun to wear it again after Mason had returned. I gripped it tightly because tonight, it would be all I'd have of him.

* * *

"Are you okay? You seem quieter than usual," Mason commented, squeezing my hand as we entered the darkened theatre.

"I'm all right," I lied softly. My mind was still churning over what Harper had said yesterday but I was determined not to let that ruin our date. I was lucky he was even in my life at all. We found seats at the back and settled in with our popcorn and drinks.

"Maybe this will make you feel better," he said, smiling as he leaned in and kissed me. My heart hammered in my chest as he held the kiss longer than he usually would. My breathing quickened and I felt like I was going to pass out before we eventually broke away.

His smile broadened. "Excited much?" he said with a laugh.

I blushed. "Is it that obvious?"

"No, not really," he said simply. He indicated my chest inside which my heart was still pounding almost painfully. "But I can hear your heartbeat loud and clear– werewolf hearing."

He leaned in close again and placed his head gently under my head, against my chest. "It's the best sound I've ever heard," he whispered, planting a fleeting kiss at the base of my neck before straightening to watch the start of the movie.

I didn't move for a few seconds and I swore I'd stopped breathing all together until he slipped his hand back into mine and looked into my eyes.

Damn the affect he had on me; he made me act like a lovesick puppy. I was like a totally different Alex around him. I didn't know whether to hate it or like it.

I was debating this when he bought our intertwined hands to his mouth and softly kissed my skin. It was only this small action that made me decide. I loved it.

"That was a good movie," I said conversationally as we strolled out.

"I didn't pay too much attention to it," he admitted in that adorable British accent of his. "I couldn't seem to take my eyes off of you."

My face grew hot and my palms were suddenly clammy. No fair; he could make me swoon with one look and a few choice words.

"Okay you are not allowed to do that," I said, stopping suddenly.

His smile disappeared off his face and he looked confused. "Not allowed to do what?"

"Say things like that in that accent of yours," I said, slightly whining.

His eyes crinkled as he laughed. "Why? Do I make you nervous?"

"You know you do," I told him stubbornly but I let him lead me away all the same.

"Well I'm sorry," he said, grinning. "How can I make it up to you?"

I smiled slyly. "I can think of a few ways."

We leaned in but a nearby yell caused Mason to turn his head sharply. We almost collided but I ducked up at the last second. As I struggled to find the source of the noise, I couldn't help but take in his position; his face alert, knees bent, arms out like a battle stance.  
I looked ahead and saw two boys approaching us. They were both tall, dark haired with eyes as dark as night. Something in Mason's face changed as they approached and he gently shoved me behind him.

"Keep quiet," he muttered out of the corner of his mouth. I had a retort ready on the tip of my tongue but the fierceness in his eyes and the set hardness of his face convinced me it wasn't the time for me to open my mouth. I moved my left foot back and forth inside my boot just to make sure my wand was still hidden in it. To my relief it was.  
It wasn't like me to be scared but I had only seen this expression on Mason's face before once; that night in Transylvania when the wolf inside him had taken over.

"Mase, what's going on?" I asked, my voice wavering.

"Alex, please be quiet."

They were in front of us, staring at Mason. Well the taller one was; the other one was leering at me.

The taller one smiled and I swore I'd seen that smile before, it seemed so familiar…

"Christian," Mason said through gritted teeth.

"Hello brother."


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's the second chapter - hope you enjoy!**

* * *

"Brother?" I said, choking out the word.

"What are you doing here Christian?" Mason asked in a tired voice.

"I came to see you little brother." He peered over Mason's shoulder where I stood, bewildered. "And your girlfriend."

"How kind of you," he commented sarcastically. I smiled at how foreign sarcasm sounded in his voice. "But we have to be going."

He grabbed my hand and we made to run off but the other one who'd been standing by, was suddenly in our path, his array of dark hair sticking out everywhere. "We were looking forward to hanging out with you Mason," he said, showing off his large pearly white teeth.

"Sorry to disappoint you Nate but we've got to get home."

Mason sidestepped Nate's hulking figure and pulled me along with him.

"We'll see you later Mason," I heard Christian call out after us.

* * *

He was quiet the whole way home. We arrived on my doorstep and I put my hand on his arm. "Talk to me."

He sighed. "I don't like to talk about my family. That's why I never told you about Chris." He paused. "How much do you know about werewolves?"

I shrugged. "Not much considering we've been going out for three months."

Mason smiled ruefully. "I'll start by telling you this: there are two types of werewolves. Those who hunt humans and those who don't. I'm one of those who don't but my family are those who do."

I took this in with a quick breath. "I didn't know that werewolves still hunted humans."

He took my hand and looked into my eyes. "Not all werewolves are good. Some are bad. Christian is bad; so is his friend Nate. I need you to understand that."

I nodded. "Okay."

"I want you to be careful. Don't underestimate his charm."

I kissed him softly, hoping to erase his worries. "It must run in the family."

He laughed quietly and we sat on the step outside the front door for a while, staring up at the stars. He held me and I never felt safer.

"You know, it's your birthday next week," he whispered into my ear.

"I'm aware of that," I replied back, gazing at the sky.

"What do you want for your birthday?"

"I don't know. I'm sure I'll think of something," I said, leaning back into his body so he held me closer. We were so close and tangled up in each other, it was hard to see where he ended and I began; just the way I liked it.

He went silent, perhaps surprised by my forwardness and our close proximity. "I'm sure you will," he said huskily.

* * *

"Alex I'm so sorry."

I tried not to feel angry but right now it wasn't working. It was first birthday with Mason and the party was tonight. Only one small problem; tonight happened to be a full moon. He told me it was a rarity and that there shouldn't have been one for another few weeks. Stupid lunar cycle.

"What if you're inside?"

He shook his head. "I can't risk it. I can't risk hurting you or anyone else."

He looked sad and part of me wanted to let him off the hook. The other part was pissed.

"Please don't be mad Alex; I'll make it up to you somehow. I promise."

I sighed. I knew he would. I knew he'd do some over the top spectacular gesture just to prove how sorry he was. But that didn't change how hurt I felt.

Sensing he'd said all he could, he kissed my forehead and left the sub shop. I wanted to run after him but Harper was arriving at any moment to set up a party I really hadn't wanted in the first place; I'd only agreed so I could spend time with Mason and now he wasn't even going to show up.

I was seventeen yet I found it hard to get excited.

* * *

"Cheer up Alex, it's your birthday," Harper said, waving a balloon in my face.

I popped the balloon with a single nail and gave her a not-in-the-mood look. She took the cue and went off to find Zeke in the crowd. That shouldn't be too hard, I thought. He'll be the one dancing weirdly in the middle of the floor who everyone is looking at.

I sighed and looked around at the people dancing close by. Everyone seemed to be having fun, except me. And it was my birthday.  
Careful to make sure Harper wasn't looking (because she'd do a nut if she knew I was skipping my own party), I slipped out the door and into the night. It was cold outside and I hugged my jacket closer to my body. I held my hand to my warm cheeks; it had been hotter than I'd thought inside.

I sat on the step and looked up into the stars, remembering when I'd done this last week with Mason. I wished he was here right now. I could really do with the body warmth his fur gave him. As if on cue, I heard a throaty murmur and a rustling behind me. A hulking figure approached and I broke into a smile, expecting to see Mason step out. But the figure stepped out of the darkness and into the streetlight, revealing a disfigured face with hair everywhere. I recognized it as the 'in-between' state of a werewolf but my heart sank when I saw that it wasn't Mason. My smile disappeared and my fear levels shot through the roof.

"Nate?"

The werewolf smiled. "You recognized me. I didn't think you would."

I half-reached down, ready to grab my wand if necessary. But his sharp eyes caught my tiny movement and as quick as a flash, his rough hands were around me, clamping my arms down by my sides; out of reach to grab my wand.

"C'mon Alex, don't be like that," he said in a low voice. It was almost mesmerizing but I was adamant not to fall for his trap.

"I just wanna play," he murmured seductively, grazing his pointy teeth against my neck. "You know in just one bite, I could tear off most of your limbs. I wonder how you taste."

I shivered but it had nothing to do with the cold. Damn it Alex, get a hold of yourself. You're Alex Russo. You're sneaky, conniving, and deceitful. You've faced worse than this before; you can do this.

"Wonderful I bet," I replied, trying to sound believable. "You don't have to threaten me if you just want to play. Mason doesn't have to know."

It worked. Man I was good. His grip relaxed ever so slightly but it was enough for me to lift my knee and sink it into his fleshy stomach. He groaned and fell back for a moment before straightening up lightening fast, ready to attack.

"Get away from her!"

The roar, so loud and earth-shattering, usually would've scared me to my wits but I recognized the British accent; it had to be Mason.

A furry figure leapt through the air and tackled Nate's body to the ground. They tussled and it was hard to see which was which. That was until Nate's claws found Mason's face and he fell back against the cement, blood gushing from his cheek.

"Mason!" I screamed, rushing to his side.

He glanced up at me and I when I saw his eyes, I finally realised. "I'm not Mason honey," he murmured with a wolfy grin before getting back to his feet and launching himself at Nate.

I had no time to even care that it was actually Christian; I just pulled out my wand.

Except I had no spell in mind. "Oh crap," I muttered, waving it around a couple of times, hoping something would happen.

A flash of light struck both Christian and Nate and they were flung through the air. Wow, did I do that?

I turned around and saw a blond haired boy standing with his wand pointed in the direction of the werewolves. Of course I didn't do it.

I looked back only to see the wolves had scarpered. I took a couple of deep breathes; I felt dizzy, like the whole world was swimming underneath me.

"Are you okay?" my blonde haired savior asked me.

"I don't know," I said slowly. That was all I had time to get out before my legs buckled underneath me.


	3. Chapter 3

I opened my eyes and found myself staring into the greenest eyes I'd ever seen. The guy smiled when he saw me awake and gently lifted me to my feet.

"Thank God you're awake. I was getting worried."

The world came back into view and I remembered what had happened. Nate had tried to attack me. And for some reason Christian had saved me. And not Mason. That fact bothered me. It was my birthday and he knew that with Christian and Nate around, they might try something but he was happy to still leave me completely unprotected? I tried not to think about how much this realization made my heart ache.

I tried to walk but the blonde guy held me back. "Take it easy. Your body's in shock."

Uh yeah it is. I was almost werewolf meat. But still, it was unlike me to faint and feel this weak. Being in love must be damaging me.

"Damn you Mason, you've made me soft," I muttered under my breath.

"Excuse me," he said, staring at me puzzled.

"Nothing," I said, waving it away. "If you don't mind me asking - who the heck are you?"

"I'm a wizard, just like you," he answered, twirling his wand between his fingers.

I rolled my eyes. Obviously. "How did you know I was in danger?"

He looked away guiltily for a moment. "My Dad, he's an important government wizard and he has a machine that picks up wizard signals. When you waved your wand, you sent out a distress signal and luckily I was sitting by the monitor." He paused, uncertain. "Don't tell my Dad, I wasn't supposed to be listening to it."

I smiled. "You just saved my life. I figure I owe you one."

He smiled back and held out his hand. "I'm Daniel."

"Alex."

"So Alex, do you have any idea why werewolves attacked you?" he asked, and I was vaguely aware he was still holding onto my arm.

"Long story," I said to him while shrugging my arm out of his grip.

"You ought to stay away from werewolves you know. They're trouble."

You're telling me, I thought. Ever since I've met Mason, it's been one drama after the other. Not to mention how much he's changed me. Grrr.

"They're working to round them all up but they're having difficulty gathering evidence to build a case since they know how to hide their tracks. But wouldn't it be good if we could finally hunt them all down?"

"Yeah good," I agreed, my mind so hung up on Mason, I was barely listening to Daniel.

"Do you want me to help you inside?" he asked as we walked to the door.

"No, I should be alright. Thank you for all your help."

"No problem," he said with a grin. He took out his wand, and in a flash, he was gone.

I took a few deep breathes before pushing open the door. I was barely a foot inside when an arm slung around my waist and pulled me back into the darkness. Panicking, I flung my arms around, swiping at the shadows.

"Oww! What did you hit me for?"

I peered into the darkness. "Mason?"

Hair and all, Mason leaned in closer and I caught sight of his face. "It's you," I said, relieved.

"Are you okay?" he asked urgently, his hands running up and down my arms and face to check for bruises or wounds.

"I'm fine, do you...do you know what happened?" I asked nervously.

His face changed. "Roughly," he said quietly. "I was miles away when I heard noises. It was them, wasn't it?"

"Yes," I admitted. "But it's not what you think. Nate attacked me but Christian saved me. I thought it was you."

Mason looked mildly surprised. "It _should_ have been me," he said furious at himself. It was weird seeing him angry.

"It's fine, I'm fine, really I am," I said reassuringly, patting his arm.

He didn't look convinced but dropped it. "You should get inside love."

"They won't miss me," I pointed out, hugging him close. I wasn't game to kiss him while he had hair growing on his lips so a hug would have to do. He lifted me off the ground slightly as we embraced before setting me back down.

"You should get back inside," he repeated. "It's cold out here."

I nodded. The lack of expression in his voice worried me. It seemed his brother and the past he was trying to avoid brought out a different side in him like he brought out a different side in me. And I wasn't sure I liked it.

"I'll call you tomorrow Mason. Don't do anything stupid," I called out after him.

He didn't reply as he bounded away on all fours but I was sure he'd heard me.

* * *

I groaned. Who the hell was running the blender at 9 in the morning. Did they not know I was sleeping?

I dragged myself out of bed and stomped downstairs to find Justin and Harper sitting in the kitchen with smoothies in hand.

"You want one?" Harper asked as soon as she caught eye of me.

"Careful," Justin warned. "Alex can't be talked to until after twelve. Last time Max asked her to take him to the park at 10 in the morning, he ended up hanging by his underwear on the chandelier." He winced at the memory, almost reliving our younger brother's discomfort.

I smiled palely. I'd outdone myself with that one.

"Oh Alex isn't that bad, she's probably just exhausted from the party last night."

The party. It had almost slipped my mind. No one knew the main event had actually taken place outside with two full grown, very angry werewolves and I would be keeping it this way. I was determined this secret remain with me.

"She wasn't even in the room for half of the night," Justin interjected.

Harper paused. "Yeah, where were you Alex?" she asked, addressing me.

"Uh I was outside with..."

"Mason?"

"Yeah let's go with that," I replied with fake cheerfulness, heading to the cupboard to grab a glass.

"Awww, you guys are so cute. Isn't everything just going great? Me and Zeke, You and Mason. There's no drama and everything is just perfect."

"Don't say that Harper," I told her, chugging down the remainder of the smoothie in the blender. "You when someone says that in the movies, something goes wrong."

"This isn't a movie Alex," she pointed out. "Nothing's going to go wrong."

I just shrugged and plonked myself next to her. Justin soon scurried away, coming back a few minutes later with the wizard computer in his hands. He sat on the couch and placed it in his lap.

"What are you doing?" I asked him. It way too early for someone to be on the wizard web.

"Checking the wizard news," he replied, scrolling through websites.

I rolled my eyes. Of all the possibilities, only he would use the WizWeb on something completely boring.

"Uh, Alex, I think you better come here," he said a few minutes later, his voice unnaturally high-pitched.

"What's wrong Justin? Did they pass a law forbidding geeks becoming the family wizard?" I asked with a smirk. It wasn't one of my best but he was still sure to feel the sting.

"Ha Ha, no! Just get over here now."

I sighed and flounced over to the back of the couch, reading the screen over his shoulder, my mouth dropped agape.

The title of the article he was reading was labeled '_New Wizard Law Passed - Goodbye Werewolves'._

No. No, they can't mean that they're going to...

"Click on the video below," I said hurriedly, my panic rising with every second.

He pulled the video up and a man wearing an important suit appeared in front of us.

_"__As you know, werewolves have been a menace for centuries now and it has been difficult to build a big enough case against them to exterminate them. But a recent attack on a teenage wizard is the last straw and the testimony given from a witness is enough to convince us to deal with this problem for good. The wizard in question was distraught and her health was threatened by this beast and it is in the best wishes of all wizards and fellow magic creatures that we destroy all werewolves. Trained monster hunters will be sent out everywhere to apprehend the said monsters but if you are confronted, we urge you to contact emergency services if you can not capture the wolves.  
We believe this move is in the best interests of yourself, the public, and we expect full support on our bid to rid the magical world of werewolves."_

The image disappeared along with all the colour from my face. I could only think of one thing: Mason.

"Alex, what are we going to do?" Justin asked softly.

I felt a rush of appreciation for my brother just then; he'd said 'we', meaning we were in this together when it really wasn't even his problem. But I had no time to bask in the glow of our brother/sister love. I grabbed my jacket and my wand. I didn't really know we were going. All I knew was I had to fix this. Especially since I was the reason for putting Mason in immense danger.

Justin caught on and climbed over the side of the couch to be by my side.

"You should stay behind Harper, just in case it's dangerous," Justin told her, pulling out his wand from his back pocket.

Harper nodded, not really looking at all bummed that she wasn't coming.

"Told you not to say it," I whispered to her, as my brother and I disappeared in a flash of light.


	4. Chapter 4

We reappeared seconds later in a place I'd never seen before.

"Justin where are we?" I asked, staring around at the people who were passing by.

"Wizard City Hall," he replied as he shrugged. "I thought it would be the best place to start."

"I'm glad you had a plan because I seriously didn't have any idea where we were going."

"That's because you never think straight Alex. You use your heart instead of your head," he informed me in a superficial tone that made me want to knock him out. How could he make me like him one second and hate him the next?

"Well if you don't like it then next time-"

"That's not always a bad thing Alex," he said, interrupting my rant with a small smile.

Aww, my brother, ladies and gentlemen. I may think he's a loser and he may be most of the time but every now and then, he pulls out a remark like that that makes me think he's alright.

"What do we do now?" I asked him.

"I have no idea," he told me. "I was kind of hoping you would contribute to this mission."

I looked around and found a face that seemed familiar. It took me a minute to fully register the polished clothes, pulled back blond hair and bright green eyes. A second after that, I had crossed the floor in only a few steps and pinned Daniel against the wall, a feat that surprised even me; I'd had no idea I had that much strength.

"What the hell – oh…Alex, hi."

"What did you do?" I asked threateningly.

"I suggest you take your hands off my son before I have someone remove them," said a clipped voice nearby.

I released my grip on Daniel's shirt and turned around. It was the man from the video. I turned back to face Daniel who was looking bewildered. He had said his father working for the Wizard Government; this must have been who I was looking at.

"Alex, what are you doing here?" Daniel asked me, running a hand through his ruffled hair and straightening his crumpled shirt.

"I came to sort this whole thing out. Why did you report that attack? There was no need for it."

"No need for it Missy? Werewolves have been terrorizing wizards for centuries now and you think there's no need to report an attack that could help lead to their elimination?"

I opened my mouth to snap back but Daniel quickly covered my mouth with his hand. "Dad let me handle this," he said to his father. "She's a friend and this is something I need to sort out."

His father didn't look like he totally agreed with his son but nodded curtly and left all the same.

"Come on," Daniel said urgently, uncovering my mouth and leading Justin and I down a corridor. We found an empty office and slipped inside.

"Explain. Now."

"I had to report it Alex. The government would never have been able to justify what they want to do without substantial evidence. The public never would have stood for it."  
"The public _won't_ stand for it," Justin said angrily. "Werewolves have just as much right as we do. What are you going to do next, exterminate fairies?"

"Fairies don't rip you limb from limb, werewolves on the other hand…"

"What about vampires?" I asked. I saw Justin tense beside me and I knew the subject of vampires was still a sore spot for him but right now I needed to prove a point. "They drain you of all your blood and kill you but that's okay?"

"If you knew anything about current wizard affairs Alex, you know that there is a law forbidding vampires to drain a person of all of their blood. They are still allowed to drink if they choose to but the human cannot be harmed in any long term way. This makes them a lesser threat."

"Didn't really the history lesson Dan but thanks anyway," I said sarcastically as he scowled; probably at being called Dan. "Why not just ask werewolves not to attack people? There, problem solved."

"Werewolves are too volatile, stubborn. They don't listen. Enforcing this law against them is the only way Alex. You'll soon see it's for the best."

"But not all werewolves attack people. Some are good." My heart stung, thinking of Mason.

"They won't be killed then. Those who come quietly will be detained until they can be transformed into humans. There's a new virus that we're working on."

"Being a werewolf isn't something you can cure!" I screamed at him. "It's like saying being a wizard is a disease as well."

He shook his head. I was fast losing patience with him, even if he did save my life. "Just forget it," I muttered to Justin. I was at a loss at what to do.

"They won't take this lying down you know," Justin warned. "Thousands of wizards will die as well as many of their kind. Convince your Dad to find a better solution or it won't be pretty."

He grabbed my hand and seconds later, we were back home. I collapsed into the couch and stared at the ceiling. It was all my fault.

"Alex, what are we going to do?" Justin asked, sitting on the lounge chair opposite.

"I don't know," I replied.

"We have to think of something, maybe talk with Mason, and tell him what happened…"

"No!"

Justin stared at me. "Alex, he won't blame you," he said softly.

"Why not? It's my fault. It's my fault I'm going to lose him again."

"Well are you going to do something about it or are you just going to sit there?"

I didn't reply, because honestly…

I didn't know.

* * *

"Surprised to see you here little brother. Aren't you a little young to be hanging around the big boys Mase?"

Scratching at an itchy spot behind my ear, I ignored Christian and clamped my mouth shut. As irritating as he was, I was determined to not be baited. But resisting taking a snap at him with my aching canine teeth was proving very difficult.

We stood at the back of a large group of werewolves as they discussed what to do about recent developments. The leader of the meeting, a wolf by the name of Tomas, talked passionately as he moved around the crowd.

"We have been a divided people but the time is ready for us to unite against the wizards, and stake our claim on the magical world. We will no longer be a hunted species; we will fight for what is ours!"

A roar went up and I shook my head in disgust. "Can you believe this?" I muttered to Christian, forgetting how annoying I found him.

He shrugged. "What else do you expect them to do? Turn themselves in?"

I stared at him incredulously. "Surely, you can't be considering joining them?"

He shrugged again, and his nonchalant attitude about this whole situation had me edging closer and closer to taking a part of his throat out.

"There's no other way," he said calmly, crossing his arms across his chest as rousing applause filled the air. I shook my head again. I doubted anyone knew exactly what they were agreeing to; they thought they were fighting for their rights but in the end, many would die as well as wizards. Who would be the winner then?

I made to leave but Christian took hold of my arm. "Don't be stupid Mason, be a good boy and do as you're told. Join them."

I shook myself out of his grip and glared at him. "You're kidding right?"

"They'll rip your heart out if you go against them Mase. Don't die because you're too stupid to see that this is how things have to be. We don't have a choice."

"We all have a choice," I told him stubbornly.

But as I walked away, a small part of me couldn't help but think he was right.


	5. Chapter 5

"Are you going to get up Alex or are you just going to sit there?"

I didn't even bother to look at Justin as I replied; I was so drained. "I'm going to sit here."

"Do you want someone to sit with you?"

My head perked up because that hadn't come from Justin. It'd come from Mason who was standing by my door, looking at me.

"I'm going to leave you two alone," Justin said quietly, more to himself than to us. He made a quick exit downstairs and left Mason and I simply staring at each other. Mason bounded over to me and soon we were wrapped up in each others arms, both of us holding on tight.

"You've heard then?" he asked, except it didn't sound so much like a question; just a statement to which he already knew the answer.

I nodded on his shoulder and we held on a few seconds longer before we pulled away and sat on the couch. He slipped his hand into mine and traced over my hand with his rough fingers.

"Look, I'm sorry –"

"Please don't apologize," Mason begged. "I know that the wizard under attack that they were talking about in the news was you but I don't blame you. If anything, I blame Nate."

Maybe he saw the panic in my eyes because he squeezed my hand even harder. "Don't worry love," he said softly.

"What are we going to do?" I asked him.

He sighed. "The werewolf packs from all over are coming together to fight. They want me to join them."

"You can't honestly be considering joining them, can you?" I asked him, staring in disbelief.

Any pretense that might have been there dropped from his face. "Considering the alternative, it's starting to look like a pretty good option," he said coldly.

"But you have to know its wrong!"

"Since when have you cared about doing the right thing?" he snapped, letting go of my hand and jumping away from the couch. "You of all people?"

He looked like he instantly regretted saying this the moment the sting of his words hit me. He knew it had been a low blow but it was out in the air now, and he couldn't take it back; even if he wanted to.

I stood up from the couch so we were face to face again. "At least I know the difference between good and evil. Millions of wizards will be killed."

"What about us?" he screamed and I flinched at the volume of his voice. I knew right then that the 'us' he was referring was not him and I, but werewolves as a whole. "What about our kind?" he continued. "What happens when they kill _us_? When they kill me?"

"If you come quietly…"

He scoffed. "They'll just lock me up in a cage until they figure out what to do with me. Is that your perfect solution?"

"I don't have a perfect solution but I know that joining them is wrong," I said, clinging to his arms. I was desperately holding onto the Mason I knew before he disappeared forever. But I was losing.

"Well maybe you're wrong," he said in a deadly voice, shaking his arms free from my grip.

Tears formed in my eyes. "What's happening to you? You're…changing."

"Maybe this is who I am," he said, boring directly into my eyes. "Maybe the happy-go-lucky Mason was just a façade. It's time we face reality. I'm a werewolf, you're a wizard. Let's not kid ourselves into pretending otherwise."

A lone tear ran down my cheek and Mason reached out to grab it with his fingertip. I didn't move until he'd removed his hand from my skin.

"Is that how it's going to be?" I asked him sadly.

"That's how it has to be."

"Well then, I don't like the werewolf you. He's not the guy I want for my boyfriend."

"What…what are you saying?" he asked shakily. His hands were trembling slightly, from rage or fear, I really didn't know. But I wasn't sure I wanted to find out.

"I don't want to be around you when you act like this. I want the sweet and caring Mason I fell in love with."

Mason shook his head slowly. "What if he's gone? What if he's not coming back?"

The air fell deadly silent. I didn't want to say anything yet, afraid that once I did, this whole situation would feel much more real.

"Then I'm not sure I want to be with you anymore."

His dark eyes were aflame, dancing with a burning anger. "Are you…are you breaking up with me?"

"I don't know," I admitted. "Ask me when this is all over."

I turned my back away from him so he wouldn't see the outbreak of tears. I took a few steps and before I could even begin to comprehend what had happened, I was slammed into the wall; like a rag doll.

I was pinned, staring down at Mason who had his hands around my throat. It was a sight of him I'd never seen before; a face of pure fury

"Mason," I gasped. "Please stop."

He looked away from me and looked into the window where moonlight had seeped in. He went glassy eyed and I knew what was happening.

He howled loudly as hair sprouted from his skin and his features become disfigured. His hands grew larger, stronger and consequently, his grip tightened. My vision swam as spots appeared in my eyes.

Seconds later, I was on the floor, staring dazed up at Justin. "Are you okay Alex?" he asked urgently.

"Fine," I croaked, choking out spluttering coughs.

Mason had been flung over the side of the room, care of a handy spell Justin had used. He stared horrified at his hands, as if he couldn't believe what he'd just done; as if he hadn't realised just what he was capable of until now.

"I'm sorry Alex. I'm so sorry," he whispered, his jaw clenched tight. With one last look, he ran from the room.

I tried to get up to chase after him but Justin wouldn't let me go. "Let him go," he said calmly.

"No," I said, struggling against his hold. I eventually broke free and moved as quickly as my body would let me.

* * *

I ran down the stairs and out the door, tears freely running down my face. I couldn't remember the last time I'd cried like this as I slammed her front door shut and sat down in the darkness.

"Mason?" said a voice.

I recognized it and quickly erased all evidence of my tears from my face. My brother emerged from the shadows, looking solemn. He was almost identical to me when we were in this form.

I kept my head in my hands, staring down at the ground. "What's happening to me? I used to be able to control it but now…."

"Shh," he said, clapping a hand down onto my shoulder. "She's coming. You should get out of here. You're in no condition to face her."

He helped me up and I fought the urge to throw up, instead breathing deeply in and out.

"Thanks Christian," I whispered.

He nodded. "Go."

I turned and disappeared into the darkness, hoping it would swallow me whole and for once, put me out of my misery.


	6. Chapter 6

I burst out the door, searching anxiously for Mason. But he was nowhere to be found.

"Mason? Please Mason, if you're here, talk to me."

"He's not here," said a low voice.

Christian emerged in his werewolf form. I took a step back; I did not have a good track record with werewolves lately.

"Relax," he said, leaning against the brick wall. He pulled a pack of cigarettes from his jacket and offered the packet to me.

"I don't smoke," I told him.

He shrugged. "Suit yourself."

He lit one and took a few puffs. It was a weird scene. I stood there, watching him blow rings of smoke as he watched me watching him. If that makes any sense at all.

"Can I ask you something?" I said suddenly. Now was as good a time as any to get answers.

"Shoot," he said with a small smile.

"Why'd you save me?"

He dragged his cigarette from his mouth and made a noise somewhere between a laugh and a cough, as if he'd choked while inhaling the stick of poison.

"Why are you so curious?" he asked back, smirking before taking another puff.

"Because I am," I retorted. Now I knew how Mason felt; Christian _was_ frustrating and annoying. "Nate's your friend and you hunt humans right?" I was vulnerable and ready for the taking. What stopped you?"

"Did you _want_ me to take a bite out of you? Because if you still feel that way, I would be all too happy to oblige."

I rolled my eyes. "Answer the question."

He sighed as he dropped his smoke to the ground and stepped on it.

"Look, no matter what Mason may say about me, I'm not that much of a jerk as he'd like to believe." He stepped in closer and this time I didn't move away. "He loves you and….you're a bad influence on him. I like that," he said, smiling wickedly.

I almost cracked a grin. Mason had a habit of always being too nice. Yesterday, I would've said he didn't have a dangerous bone in his body. Now I knew better.

"You're joining them too, aren't you? I said, realization dawning on me.

He didn't nod but it was easy to tell from his face. "Alex, even if I didn't agree with what they're doing, it doesn't change anything. Rebelling against them won't make a difference. They'll kill him if he doesn't side with them."

"Not if he turns himself in," I said defiantly.

He laughed frostily. "Are you willing to be responsible for them locking him up? You'll never see him again and he'll die eventually when they run out of ideas on how to turn him completely human. He has a better chance of survival siding with the wolves."

"They won't kill him," I said weakly, but my faith in Daniel's promise not to hurt the good werewolves was fading.

"You know better than that Alex."

I sat down on the pavement, too weak to stand anymore. He sat next to me, which usually would way too close for my liking but I didn't care.

"I'll make sure nothing happens to him when the war starts. I promise, I'll protect him," he said strongly.

He had such conviction in his voice, I believed him. "Thanks," I whispered.

He stared at me strangely for a moment before placing a fleeting kiss on my forehead. I was so surprised that I didn't even move. His hot lips grazed my skin and then, he was gone.

I headed back upstairs some time later, still unnerved from what had happened. Justin was waiting patiently for me. "Did you catch up to him?"

I shook my head as I sat down next to him. He watched me carefully before he spoke next.

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to let him decide. It's his choice, not mine. What decision he makes affects him more than it affects me."

"I don't think you should be around him now that he's dangerous," Justin blurted out, sounding very much like an overprotective brother.

"That's not your decision to make Justin. You can't make my choices for me just like I can't make Mason's," I said gently.

He looked resigned to the fact that I was right and was probably thinking the same thing I was; it didn't happen often.

* * *

I swallowed hard and clenched my fists. This was it. Now or never.

I'd slept restlessly last night, images of Alex cropping up in my dreams. I was close to losing her, losing myself and I wasn't ready to let her go again. I realised now that this was my only choice now, whether I liked it or not; the only way I could keep her. It was the right thing to do, no matter what Christian or any of the other wolves said otherwise.

I took a few steps forward and braced myself.

"Hello, can I help you?" the wizard at the front desk asked.

I took a deep breath and tried to calm the rapid beating of my heart; it was so loud, I could hear it pounding in my eardrums. I tried to gather some courage together and remember exactly why I was here.

I'm doing this for you Alex. I'm doing this because I love you.

"Yes you can. I'm a werewolf and I'm here to turn myself in."


	7. Chapter 7

"You said you'd protect him."

"It's a bit hard to protect someone when you have no idea where the hell they are!"

I paced back and forth anxiously. I hadn't heard from Mason in a few days and neither had Christian.

"There haven't been any press releases about any wolves being caught but there is a possibility he got caught. Or turned himself in."

I didn't even want to think about that possibility. He would have only done that to please me, to keep me. And I would probably never see him again because of it.

"You're sure none of the other werewolves got him?" I asked.

"Positive," Christian answered firmly. "No one's seen him since he left here and they're getting worried considering tomorrow they're planning to raid Wizard City Hall and they need all the numbers they can get."

"They're raiding City Hall?" I asked, surprised.

He nodded. "It won't be pretty. It'll be a bloodbath."

"Then I guess we'll have to stop it then."

Christian laughed suddenly and it took me off guard. "We? There's no we. In case you've forgotten, I promised to protect Mason, not the entire wizard community."

"You're not going to help me?" I put on the best puppy dog eyes I could muster. He'd have to be made of stone to resist them. It turns out he was.

"Don't try those on me. Who do you think invented those?" he said, gesturing to himself. "I'm the dog here."

"Please Christian. If Mason's been caught, he'll probably be there as well."

His dark eyes softened. This was the deal breaker. He'd promised me that he'd protect Mason and that meant he'd have to come with me, whether he liked it or not.

"Fine," he sighed.

I smiled. The stone had cracked.

"You better have an idea Russo because we're not just winging it."

"When do I not have a plan?"

* * *

"This isn't a good idea."

"Shut it Justin."

I peered out from our hiding place. Currently, Christian, Justin and I were sitting in a closet inside Wizard City Hall. It was quite uncomfortable being squished between the two of them; Justin wasn't exactly small and Christian was a tall, hulking werewolf.

Max had wanted to come when he'd heard we'd be fighting with werewolves but Justin had put his foot down and told him to cover with Mom and Dad for us. I didn't have the heart to tell him none of them would be fighting with us; only against us.

We'd managed to get in here unnoticed but I really had no idea what to do next. How the hell were we supposed to get all the wizards out of here before the wolves arrived?

"You told me you had a plan Alex. So far, it looks like we're sitting in a very cramped closet," Christian said.

Even in the semi-darkness, I could see he was irritated.

"With a dog smell and no windows," Justin added quietly.

Christian snarled and tried to lean around me to get to Justin. I put my hand on his chest, knowing that my strength would not be even close to keep him back. But he recognized what I was attempting to do and retreated, staring viciously at my older brother. I turned to Justin and gave him a warning look. He looked innocently away, whistling under his breath.

"What now?" Christian asked, now seriously peeved.

"We need something to get everyone out of the building."

"A bomb?" Christian suggested simply.

Justin stared at him. "I thought the whole point of this was to make sure no one go hurt."

Christian rolled his eyes as a light went off in my head. "That's it!" I exclaimed.

"What is?" they both asked simultaneously.

"A bomb," I told them with a grin.

Justin looked horrified while Christian looked excited. "You're kidding right Alex?" Justin said nervously.

"No," I replied. "Be right back."

I flashed out and minutes later, I flashed back in, two small bombs and detonators in my hand.

"You're not kidding," Justin said, open mouthed, staring at me.

"Relax Justin; we're not going to hurt anyone. We just need to evacuate the building."

He still looked uneasy. "Where did you get those from?" he asked as Christian unraveled the wires.

"I know a guy," I answered mysteriously.

Christian looked up, smiling. "How we going to set these up without being noticed?"

Damn, hadn't thought of that. Why did everything have to be so hard?

"I'll do it," Justin piped up reluctantly.

Christian and I turned and looked at him sceptically. "Really?" I asked him.

"I'm fast, I can do it," offered Christian.

"You may be fast big boy but you stick out like a sore thumb," Justin said, indicating Christian's muscular frame.

Christian looked as though he had to concede that point. "I could do it if you wanted me to Justin," I volunteered.

"No!" Justin and Christian replied at the same time. They looked to each other weirdly, finding hard to believe they agreed on something.

"Why not?" I protested. "I can flash in and out as quickly as you can."

"It's much too dangerous," Christian said and Justin nodded.

Okay, things couldn't get much weirder; they were actually agreeing on something.

"Good luck," Christian said seriously as Justin disappeared.

Okay scratch that, things just got weirder.

Ever since I'd introduced Christian to Justin yesterday, they'd been bickering non-stop and trading death stares. Christian wishing my brother luck was like a totally unexpected event; like a shooting star.

"How long do you think he'll be?" I asked Christian as I moved away to sit by the wall. There was more room now; not much but enough for me to put some distance between him and I.

He ignored my question, instead studying my movement intensely. "Do I really smell that bad?" he asked.

I laughed. "No, why do you ask?"

"Every time I'm around you, you seem to never want to be near me. I thought we'd already established I wasn't a threat to you."

"I know you won't hurt me," I told him reassuringly.

He studied me carefully once more and I had to turn away from his burning gaze. "Are you attracted to me?" he asked suddenly.

I scoffed. "Very funny."

"No, seriously. Do you like me?"

"Not that way," I scrambled out as quickly as I could.

"So then you wouldn't mind if I did this."

He leaned forward and he was so close, our noses were barely touching. He touched my cheek and pushed back an errant strand of hair that had fallen into my face, behind my ear. I could feel the spot where he'd touched was aflame. He looked into my eyes, his messy dark hair falling onto his forehead. I looked into his dark smoldering eyes and saw Mason.

I swiftly pushed him back and was surprised when he unexpectedly fell back. I must have caught him off guard because he had twice the strength I did.

I laughed freely, realizing that any attraction between us was only a reflection of how I felt about Mason.

"What are you laughing at?" he asked, confused.

"The only conceivable reason I could ever like you is because you remind me so much of Mason; the way you look, even the way you act sometimes. You're as kind as he is but you don't show it nearly as often as he does."

He sat back and stared at me for a while, taken aback by my words. "He's lucky to have someone like you," he said.

And I'm lucky too, I realised. I can't believe I'd been close to ending it. Even on his worse days, I would still rather be with him than without him. Even if he did try to choke me.

I giggled though this thought wasn't even remotely funny; just the strangeness of it all had me in hysterics.

Justin interrupted my chuckling with a timely appearance. "It's done."

"What do we do now?" I asked both of them.

Christian pulled out his cell phone with a devious grin. "We make the call."


	8. Chapter 8

It was a simple enough plan. Christian would call the front desk, sounding like that creepy, murderous villain in the movies, claiming there was a bomb in the facility and that if the whole place wasn't cleared out, it would detonate.

If they didn't believe him, boom! First bomb goes off. He says he's dead serious, don't mess with him; blah, blah, blah. Still no movement, second bomb goes off and hopefully everyone gets the hell out.

Last resort: Christian beats up any stragglers.

"They don't think I'm serious," he said in a low voice, covering the phone with his hand.

I simply smiled and pressed a button. The ground shook before stilling. I heard screams on the other end of the phone.

We'd put the bombs in places where no one would be seriously hurt but hopefully they'd knock out some of the infrastructure and get everyone to leave.

Outside the door, we heard screams and hasty footsteps in the halls. Doors slamming, objects crashing down, more screaming.

"It's working," Justin whispered.

"Well it better because the wolves will be here any minute!" Christian hissed.

"Second bomb," I whispered to them and I pressed another button.

Another loud noise came and even though I'd been expecting it, I fell on my butt in shock, landing right by Christian's leg. He looked down at me, like he was suppressing the urge to laugh.

"Shut up," I told him furiously, getting back to my feet.

A small smile crept onto his face. "I didn't say anything."

It went quiet after a while and I couldn't hear anything. The three of us looked at each other, all thinking the same thing; was it safe to go out there?

Justin reached for the handle and the door swung open, a huge cloud of smoke greeting us. I coughed and gagged but Christian simply grabbed my upper arm and dragged through the cloud. Justin soon followed and we were through to a clean patch of air. We stumbled through the wake of destruction we'd left, trying desperately to find the detainment cells in the complex.

We finally came to a door and I hoped I would find what I was looking for on the other side. We pushed through and my heart raced as soon as I caught sight of a dark haired guy sitting in the dust behind the bars of his cell.

Christian leapt forward at once and ripped the bars apart. Mason looked up from his position and saw us standing there; saw me standing there. He stood up slowly, wondering if it was a dream. I threw myself into his arms and thankfully he caught me. I breathed in his familiar smell and tangled my fingers in his hair. He stared at me in pure adoration, taking in every part as though he'd forgotten what I'd looked like.

"We came to rescue you," I whispered in his ear.

"I see that," he said lightly.

"C'mon let's get out of here," I said to him, withdrawing myself reluctantly from his warmth.

"I can't. I belong here," he said expressionlessly.

"If you don't move your ass right now after we went through all this trouble to save you, I will kill you."

Mason looked over my shoulder at Christian. He smiled faintly but quickly the smile disappeared and his face froze.

"Mason, what's wrong?" I asked him.

"They're here."

Alex's face became fearful as I stared over her shoulder at Christian who had become still; he could hear the distant rumbles like I could.

"They're going to want to know why we weren't with them," I informed Christian. "What do we do?"

"I'll cover," he said immediately. "Get out of here."

Alex grabbed my hand and tried to move me but I stayed still. "Mason, why aren't you moving?"

"I know I have no right to ask this of you but I want your forgiveness. I know giving myself up can't make up for what I did to you but I need to know if you can still love me, if you still want-"

My words were cut off with Alex's lips gluing themselves to mine. I lost myself in the kiss, relishing the taste of her. I just hadn't realised how much I'd missed that.

"Does that answer your question?" she asked, resting her forehead against mine.

I smiled and Christian smacked me around the head. "Hurry up," he urged.

My hand firmly in Alex's and hers in Justin's, we disappeared. But not before I caught sight of the worry on my brother's face, something I'd never seen on him.

* * *

My knees buckled underneath me as we hit the ground. Was it just me or was the whole place spinning?  
I felt someone warm squeeze my hand tight and I looked to my left to see Mason. Mason. I'd be afraid that maybe this wasn't real but he was really here, looking solemn. He saw me gazing at him and kissed me softly, cupping my chin in his spare hand.

"Eww, I don't need to see that," Justin complained from the other side of the room.

We broke away and I could easily see that our kiss hadn't erased his troubles. "Mason, what's wrong?"

"Christian."

I didn't need to be a psychic to know he was scared for his brother. Which I thought was cute considering they apparently didn't get along.

"He'll be okay," I told him firmly. "He's Christian."

* * *

I crashed not long after and Justin let Mason stay with us, considering he wasn't safe anywhere else. But he was to stay on Justin's floor, that way Justin could keep Mom and Dad from finding out my werewolf boyfriend was staying the night.

I woke up in the middle of the night; I knew it wasn't morning because it was still dark. I rubbed my eyes groggily and finally realised the reason why I'd woken up. Someone was lying next to me, stroking my hair.

"That better be you Mason," I whispered.

I didn't hear a reply, only the slight rustling of sheets as the shadow leaned towards me and faintly kissed me.

I could barely feel the kiss and I knew right then that something was wrong. I pushed the shadow away, and caught off guard, they rolled off the bed. I quickly turned the light on and saw a disheveled brown haired guy staring up at me.

"I am going to kill you!" I half-screamed, careful not to wake up my parents.

I jumped down on top of the figure and started smacking him with the nearest pillow I could find. I was winning until the door swung open and my Mom and Dad were standing in the doorway, gobsmacked.

"What the hell is going on here?"

Mason and Justin soon appeared behind them. I caught sight of Mason's face then glanced down at Christian who I had pinned underneath me.

Oh crap.


	9. Chapter 9

All four of us were standing in a line in the living room, like prisoners on death row as my parents paced around the room yelling. Mason was by my side but he hadn't said a word yet. It was hard to read his face and tell what he was thinking. Justin looked livid that I had got him into trouble, and was now back to shooting death stares at Christian who he been warming up to.

Christian…well Christian was just Christian; cool, calm and collected. It seemed even the angriest mortal parents didn't scare him.

My ears were starting to ring and my head was hurting. After all, we'd been standing here for ten minutes and I didn't think either my Mom or Dad had taken a breath yet. I was surprised Max hadn't woken up from all the commotion; I was sure China could hear us.

"I can't believe you could be so irresponsible Alex – well actually I can believe it," Mom said, steam almost literally bellowing out of her ears.

"Am I allowed to speak?" I piped up finally. All heads turned to me and I felt almost overawed by all the attention. "Can I explain myself at all?"

My parents surprised me by sitting down and staring expectantly up at me. "This should be good," muttered Dad.

"Look, the wizard world is after werewolves and we were just trying to protect Mason and Christian so we said they could stay here." They looked confused so I pointed to Christian. "That's Christian, Mason's older brother."

"Do you really expect us to believe you Alex?"

"She's telling the truth Dad," said Justin wearily.

"Okay then, we believe you," Mom said, standing up.

"What!" I yelled. "That is so not fair that you believe-"

Mason at that point clamped my mouth shut with his hand and shot me a message loud and clear; don't push it.

"They still doesn't explain why this boy," – Dad threw Christian a dirty look – "was in your room?"

"If I may Mr and Mrs Russo," interrupted Christian, all swagger and charm. "Your son was kind enough to let us sleep on his floor. I went to the bathroom and got lost. I accidentally went into Alex's room when she mistook me for an intruder and proceeded to attack me."

He said the lie so smoothly, _I _almost believed him. And _I_ knew the truth.

My parents were still skeptical but I could tell they were swaying. "Alright," my Dad said, stepping up to face Mason and Christian. "You can sleep in Justin's room tonight but tomorrow we'll discuss what to do with you."

"Thank you sir, we really appreciate it," Christian said, holding his hand out to shake my father's.

Dad just ignored it and I had to stifle a laugh at Christian's rejection. My parents disappeared to bed but not before making sure we were all in our beds.

An hour later, when I was sure both of them were asleep, I snuck into Justin's room where the three of them were alert and ready.

"Took you long enough Russo," Christian remarked as I sat down next to Mason. He still looked strangely calm and hadn't said anything the whole time but I wondered again what he was thinking.

"As I was saying," Christian continued in a hushed whisper. "I told them Mase and I had been cornered by wizards just as we were preparing for the raid, and that Mason had been so badly injured, I'd told him to go home instead of coming."

"They bought it?"

Christian nodded. "Yep, hook, line and sinker."

"Did they wonder why the place had been blown up?" Justin asked curiously.

"Yeah, but they were more angry that no one was there. They're going back to the drawing board for a new plan."

"Does anyone know where the wizards are or if they've discovered Mason's disappearance?"

"Apparently they've set up a temporary spot that can't be found by anyone but a wizard. As for Mason, they'll be hoping he died in the chaos and will probably forget about him for now."

Justin looked at his watch. "It's getting late. We could have avoided all this madness if you'd come in through our window," he said, glaring at Christian.

"It's hard to see whose window was whose, I chanced it," he said, staring at me.

So he'd told them he was just trying to get in and had accidentally used my window instead of Justin's. What a load of bull. He'd known exactly what he was doing.

He wouldn't stop staring at me and I wondered if he was reliving that kiss. How long had he been lying next to me? I shivered and Mason put his arm around me.

"I'll walk you to your room," he said quietly.

Together we got up and left, without looking back at Christian looking enviously on, and Justin who looked as though he was ready to have a heart attack.

"I'm glad you're not mad at me," I whispered to him as he tucked me in.

"I trust you Alex; it's just Christian I don't trust. I know nothing happened."

Nothing. Could you call that faint kiss nothing? Or what about him in my room, watching me sleep, stroking my hair and cheeks?

"He kissed me," I blurted out and in the darkness, I could see him stop breathing. Then his chest resumed its normal pace and I relaxed.

He leaned down and kissed my forehead. "It's okay."

"Really?"

His head bobbed up and down. "As long as your heart lies with me, I don't care. It meant nothing, right?"

"Of course," I replied, snaking my arms around his neck and pulling him closer.

"I should go," he said reluctantly, as though he'd very much like to stay wrapped in my arms.

"You don't have to," I said, my fingertips tapping against his jaw.

He looked sorely tempted. "After the way your parents nearly scalped you tonight, I don't think it's a very good idea."

"Okay, fine," I said, pushing my head up to kiss him and watching as he vanished from the room.


	10. Chapter 10

I was awake by 7 the next morning and I knew right then, something must be wrong with me. I'd never even seen 7am before.

It must be the stress, I deduced, stumbling down the stairs. I'd had a restless sleep, images of Mason and Christian constantly cropping up.

I opened the fridge and pulled out the milk carton to take a swig. It was times like these I really needed a friend but Harper was out of state, visiting her parents. It was hard not to feel stung by the timing; she'd left just as we'd discovered the whole werewolf vs. wizard thing. I guess the whole magic thing got just a little too scary for her sometimes. Boy, she would freak out if she knew about this whole Mason-Christian thing.

"Drinking away the sorrows?"

I looked up to see Christian of all people; in the world.

"How are you always here when I don't want to see you?" I asked him viciously, taking another gulp of milk.

"I have a radar in my head that tells me when you're in your best mood. Then it tells me to find some way to annoy you and ruin all of that."

"You're such a –"

"Awesome guy?" he finished with a grin.

I scowled. "That's not what I was going to say."

"But it's much more polite than your answer."

"Can you leave me alone?" I pleaded, trying to get past him but he sashayed into my path.

"I want to apologize."

"Your apologies don't mean anything, especially when I know you're not sorry," I told him, moving around him but got a hold of me and didn't let go.

"Let go of me!" I whispered furiously, careful not to wake my parents or Mason like we had last night.

"Nope," he answered. "I let you win last night but now I'm not letting go."

I struggled against his arms. "What do you want?"

"I want to explain myself," he said calmly. "Set things straight. I was just testing something last night."

"Testing what?" I asked exasperatedly.

"Testing whether I felt anything when I kissed you. And I didn't."

"Good to know," I answered, making a stronger attempt to get free.

"You don't like me, do you?" he asked curiously in my ear.

"You know perfectly well she doesn't."

My head snapped up and Mason was standing by the stairs, staring at us. I had to stop getting myself into these situations which always looked worse than they actually were.

Christian set me down slowly and stepped away. "I don't know brother, she didn't actually deny it."

"I don't like you, you psychopath," I spat at him, as if he needed more proof than my attempts to get the hell away from him.

He shrugged and moved past myself and Mason to the door without looking back. For a second, I thought Mason was going to do the right thing and let him go. But he snapped, flying across the room and tackling Christian through the wall. And when I say through the wall, I mean through the wall. I was left staring at a gaping hole the size of Australia in the living room. Justin, my parents and Max came bounding down the stairs just as I followed Mason and Christian into the hall. They both had each other in a hold. I managed to squeeze between the two of them. They finally noticed I was standing there and backed away.

"God Alex, I wish you'd just let me kill him," Mason thundered, his face red.

"Like you could," Christian threw back.

"Enough," I told them. "Outside now!"

* * *

We sauntered down the stairs and the urge to permanently destroy Christian's handsome, chiseled face was still alive and well inside me. But I resisted, partly due to the fact Alex was between us and any movement to hurt him might hurt her as well.

We made our way outside and the breath of fresh air was calming. It was enough for my temperature to lower and anger to subside.

"Is this going to take long?" Christian asked impatiently.

"Why don't you just leave now?" I said, baring my teeth.

"Because I want him here," Alex spoke up.

Our heads snapped in her direction. Even Christian hadn't been expecting that vote of support.

"I want us all to get along," she said. "The only way we're going to stop this whole war is if we work together. Why can't we just do that?"

"Because he's in love with you!" I screamed at her.

She flinched and Christian's face went icy. "No, he's not," Alex said, her voice wavering.

"Alex, don't be so blind. Why do you think he's stuck around this whole time? It wasn't for me, it was for you."

She looked struck by my words. She turned to Christian, whose face was cold as he stared at me.

"Christian? It's not true right?"

"I'm not in love with you Alex," he said quietly.

Alex let out a low whistle of relief and turned to me as if to say, 'See, I told you'.

But something in me knew Christian hadn't finished yet and I wasn't all too surprised when he spoke again.

"But I do like you Alex, more than you know."

I couldn't find the strength to move or take my eyes off of Alex who was standing there, shocked.

"I lied when I said that kiss made me feel nothing. It made me feel more than I've felt in a century. And I know you thought I'd understood where we stood after what happened in the closet but I couldn't get you off my mind."

I'd never heard Christian say anything like this in my life; I'd never seen him express any feelings, show any love or sentiment. It was a strange sight. If not for the fact he was telling all this to my girlfriend, I might have actually congratulated him.

"More than anything, I want you to pick me over Mason, even though I know there's very little chance of that. I want you to pick me. Pick me Alex."

She didn't have any time to answer as Justin came flying through the door, panting. "Guys we got to go. The wizards are moving in on the werewolves now."

Alex looked panicked, switching her gaze to all three of us before her eyes fluttered close and she fainted, falling to the ground with a thump.

Talk about a distraction from the tension in the air.


	11. Chapter 11

I finally opened my eyes but everything was distorted. It looked like...like I was upside down.

I was, I realised. I focused and saw next to me, someone's backside.

"Uh, whose butt am I staring at?" I asked.

"Mine, honey. It's a pretty nice butt, right?"

I rolled my eyes. Why was I even surprised? Christian.

He had me slung over his shoulder as he, Mason and Justin walked. I looked up at Mason who looked down at me. He seemed okay, considering the last time I'd been awake, his brother had declared his love for me. Or like for me. Whatever.

"I can walk now you know," I called up to Christian.

"I don't mind carrying you baby, it's no trouble."

"Put her down."

Mason's threatening words were enough to lay me down on my feet. It was weird, being back on stable ground but Mason took my hand and pulled me to his side.

"It's okay brother, I'm not going to steal your girl. Yet."

We both scowled at him. I leaned in close to Mason, hoping he was the only one who would hear my hushed whisper. "Why did I faint again? I never faint. I'm not that weak."

"It's not about being weak, you're just stressed," he replied. "There's been a lot going on lately."

"Will you two be quiet?" Justin hissed from the front of our group. Silence fell as we came to a stop.

"Where are we?" I asked, to no one in particular.

"Cave," replied Christian, as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

"Werewolves like cold, dark spaces. These are the safest for us," Mason explained.

I stared below from the ledge where we stood and saw hundreds of werewolves huddled together. "Uh, do we know what we're doing?" I asked nervously.

"Not really," said Justin, biting his fingernails. "The wizards will be here in 3, 2, 1."

The whole cave shuddered as a swarm of wizards burst in from practically nowhere and starting shooting spells left and right.

"Okay, jump!" Christian ordered.

"I am so not-"

Justin didn't have time to finish his sentence; Christian had just pushed him off the ledge and he was falling rapidly to the ground.

Christian turned to wink at us before he jumped as well. Before I knew what was happening, Mason had scooped me into his arms and leapt off the ledge as well. Everything seemed like a blur as we fell; the wind was whistling in my ears. I was actually enjoying myself before it ended all too soon. Mason set me down and I helped up Justin who was face-first in the dirt. He'd hadn't fallen though; Christian had powered down, landed first and caught him, before tossing him to the ground.

"What do we do?" Mason asked, staring at the wrestling werewolves and wizards.

Christian morphed into his werewolf state and grinned. "Attack."

He bounded off and threw himself into the pack. For a minute, I thought he'd double-crossed us until I realised he was attacking both kinds. He swiped a wizard away before clawing at a wolf. He continued to do this, darting in and out, separating as many as he could.

I watched him for a minute before turning to Mason who had already become disfigured. "I thought you could only change at full moon."

"Only the beginners," he said with a crooked grin. He kissed my cheek before leaping off to join his brother.

"Get out your wand Alex," Justin ordered. "Follow me and stay low."

We crept around the edges of the cave, staying relatively unnoticed. We watched Mason and Christian closely, keeping our wands ready to protect them.

It was a pretty good plan. They moved through the packs and pulled apart as many people as they could while we watched their backs. The werewolves begun to catch on and started to strike Christian and Mason but we were always there, set with stunning spells to get them away; I was so glad Justin had taught me this now.

The cave shook again and a bunch of teenage wizards burst in.

"This is not good," I said to Justin.

"Relax, they're on our side." I looked at him in amazement and he shrugged. "I made a few calls."

Most of them I recognized from WizTech, our fake-giant friend Hugh among them. They shot spells everywhere, wizards flying through the air and werewolves being struck back. We eventually managed to worm our way in between them. Half of us faced one way and the other half faced the wizards. Christian was having trouble throwing back all the werewolves; many of them had quickly forgotten the battle and turned on him. We sent as many spells as we could but they had wised up.

One of them got a good hit in on Christian and he stumbled while the others piled on. I was ready to run right in and try to save him when Mason leapt over our heads and started to rip them apart. He was stronger than I'd realised but he was still couldn't hold them all back. Justin and I aimed and shot powerful spells directly at the wolves with a stranglehold on Mason. They let out a whine and fell back, bleeding from everywhere.

I turned to see the wizards on the other side smashing us. They were full wizards against us teenagers; they knew far more dangerous magic than we could have ever dreamed of.

But we weren't giving up. It was chaos, spells flying everywhere, hitting everyone. A spell flew past my ear and singed my hair and my wand clattered to the ground.

It wasn't working, I decided. We couldn't win like this. Something had to be done.

"Stop!"

My voice rang throughout the air, commanding attention. The werewolves froze as did the wizards. They straightened up, both sides tending to their wounds.

I looked over to see if Mason and Christian were all right; they were panting as they held on to each other, both stained with red marks all over them but were relatively okay. I almost smiled at this scene. It was like they had forgotten they were fighting for my affections and had embraced their brotherhood. Except it probably wouldn't last long and as soon as we were out of this life-threatening situation, they'd go back to hating each other.

"There aren't any winners in a war like this," I continued, feeling braver as I went on.

I was so surprised they'd actually stopped to listen to me but I had the feeling both sides were just too exhausted to continue.

"Wizards and Werewolves both die. Tell me who could possibly win?"

"I could," came a voice over the din.

I turned to see Nate, staring at me while licking his lips. He charged at me instantly, his white teeth opened wide. I didn't have time to reach for my wand so I just braced myself, waiting to meet my certain death with a last thought:

I love you Mason.


	12. Chapter 12

It never came.

The impact that is.

I was standing there, and I closed my eyes just as Nate lunged for me. I waited for him to crush me, break every bone. I hoped it would be quick, and that Mason would be okay without me. And Christian too. They both deserved to be happy, even Christian, who could sometimes be the biggest jerk in the world.

But I wasn't smashed into a thousand pieces. A noise as deafening as thunder and a cry of pure pain rang throughout the air and I opened my eyes to see Mason tackling Nate and Christian lying broken at my feet.

He'd saved me.

He'd jumped in front, risked his own life, to save me.

I was having trouble comprehending this thought as I bent down to grab Christian's hand. He was in bad shape, bones broken from the collision, bleeding from where Nate's claws had sunk into him. He was staring up at me tiredly, as though ready to fall asleep after a long day.

"Why'd you do it?" I asked him through my clenched teeth.

"Because I –"

"Don't say it Christian."

"Because I love you."

He said it. Maybe he'd been lying when he'd said he only liked me. Or maybe now he realised he was dying and wanted me to know he would have grown to love me if he had more time.

"Don't say that just because you think you're gonna die. You're not going to die."

"Yeah I am. And at least it's for a good reason. Look, everyone will learn from this. They'll make peace and realise that we can both co-exist."

I looked up briefly and found that the fight had completely ceased and everyone was watching us. Well, at least some good might come of this whole mess.

"Shut up Christian, save your strength. You're not going to die." Mason had come over and knelt next to me, wrapping his arm around me.

Christian laughed weakly. "What do you care? Ever since I got back, I've annoyed the crap out of you and fallen in love with your girl."

"None of those things change the fact that you're my brother."

Christian smiled and faint tears rolled down his face. "You're a better man than I've ever been Mase."

Mason bent down to try to pick Christian up but his brother protested. "Leave me Mason. It'll be too late."

"Shut up Christian," Mason repeated though there was no malice in it, just frustration. He laid his brother back down and turned to me with a pleading look, as if to ask 'what do we do?'

"Justin, aren't there any spells that could fix him?" I questioned.

Justin shook his head sadly. "Werewolves are impervious to those kinds of spells."

I bent down and put my head on Christian's chest; his heartbeat was fading fast.

"C'mon Christian, don't die."

He smiled feebly at me. "Don't be sad. You'll still have Mason and after all, you _love_ him."

"I love you too you idiot," I said, slapping him lightly on his cheek. "But you know not in that way."

He tried to shrug but winced when he moved. "Can't blame a wolf for trying."

He half-closed his eyes and the tears I had been holding back starting to track down my face.

This is it, I thought. All hope's gone. He's going to die.

"Maybe I can help."

A blond guy of no more than eighteen stepped out from the wizard crowd; I'd almost forgotten about everyone else until he'd spoken up.

"Daniel?" Alex said, stunned.

How did Alex know this guy? I'd never seen him before. But obviously he knew her since he smiled warmly and pulled a syringe out of his pocket which kind of freaked me out. What kind of dude carries around needles?

"This is the antidote we've been working on at the labs. I remembered what you said about there being good werewolves Alex so I thought I might bring this along for anyone who wanted the option."

Alex took the syringe hesitantly from Daniel and stared at it. "Does it work?"

"We're not really sure. If successful, it should turn him fully human."

"What if it's not?" I asked him.

He turned to look at me, his green eyes piercing. "What have you got to lose?"

I had to give him that one; he was right.

"Give it to me," I commanded Alex and she handed it over.

"Inject it into his heart," Daniel added helpfully.

I got onto my knees and ripped away the shreds of Christian's shirt. Through the slits of his eyes, he could see what I was doing.

"No, no, don't want to be human," he slurred.

"I'm not asking you," I said firmly to him.

I pushed him down, resisting his weak attempts to get up and jabbed the needle straight into his chest, penetrating his thick skin to get to his heart.

We waited with baited breath for something to happen. Then it did.

His breathing cut out, his heartbeat slowed to a definitive stop and his dark eyes closed, the last time we would probably ever see them again.


	13. Chapter 13

His eyes closed and I broke down, sobbing on his chest.

He can't be gone, he just can't. He's Christian.

Christian: selfish, arrogant, irritating, seemingly bulletproof. He was dead.

"What happened? Why didn't it work?" I heard Mason yell at Daniel.

"I…I don't know. I told you it was a trial. There were never any guarantees."

"C'mon Christian, you got to come back," I pleaded to the lifeless body.

I felt sick, just looking at him. I wrapped my arms around my stomach, desperately trying to squash the ill feeling.

"Alex…Alex, he's…gone."

"No, no," I struggled against Mason as he tried to pull me away from Christian. I looked at my hands which were now stained red. It took me a while to register that it wasn't Christian's blood on my hands. It was my own.

Mason lifted my arm up and on my side was a gash through my shirt, blood clearly visible.

"Alex, you're hurt," he said with concern.

"It's nothing," I said, waving him away.

"Let me get you help," he insisted.

"No!"

I pulled away from him and crumpled into a heap on the floor. I laced my fingers with Christian's and squeezed. "He's going to wake up Mason, He will."

Mason looked resigned as he sat down next to me.

"Okay Alex, he's going to wake up."

* * *

I don't know why I was doing this. I was kind of humoring her which wasn't very nice but I didn't know what else to do. She seemed to be taking it very hard. Like it was her fault, but it wasn't.

I ripped away the last shreds of my shirt and mopped up Christian's blood. My hand brushed his chest and I swore I felt his heart beat.

"What the hell?" I muttered.

I grabbed his free hand, putting my thumb against his wrist and there was definitely a pulse now.

We both stared at him as the hair on his body practically melted away and his face returned to its handsome normal self.

"Uh, Alex?"

She turned to me but I didn't have time to form another sentence because Christian had flung himself up, breathing heavily, eyes wide open.

I grinned. Who else but Christian to make a miraculous recovery?

Alex flung her arms around him and he winced. "Owww!"

"Oh, I'm so sorry," she apologized hurriedly as he lay back down.

The wounds that I had cleaned on him started to bleed again. Justin stepped in, waved his wand and muttered a few words. The flow of bleed slowed as they closed up.

"He still needs to see a doctor. I didn't do that great of a job."

Alex hugged Justin tight. "It doesn't matter. Thank you. For everything."

"I think it's time we resolve this."

We turned to see a man resembling Daniel emerge from the crowd; I assumed it was his father. He stepped up to face the leader of the werewolves, Tomas, and offered his hand. "If young wizards and werewolves can get along then I'm sure we can work something out."

Tomas looked over at us. I didn't know him very well but I knew he wasn't stupid. He didn't let his emotions get in the way of his duty. He was cold, well-educated and he knew that it was better to let it be this time. He'd lost one of his strongest werewolves in Christian and I could tell that the virus the wizards held perhaps frightened him.

"We will work something out," he answered, taking his foe's hand.

* * *

I cheered inwardly, unable to muster enough effort to talk. I was tired, so very tired. Mason bent down next to me.

"You okay?" he asked, checking my wound.

"I feel dizzy," I answered and with that, he scooped me up into his arms. I nestled into his chest. It was really quite comfortable.

"Go to sleep. We'll be at the hospital soon."

Justin lifted Christian to his feet and supported him just as I closed my eyes. They were walking close by judging by the noise of their footsteps.

It might have been a dream or just a delusion but I could have sworn I heard Christian say, "You better be careful now Mase. Now that I'm recovered, I get to have another crack at Alex."

I could almost hear the grin in his voice as he said it.

I flicked my eyes open and saw Mason smiling; a good sign so I closed them again just as he replied, "You wouldn't dare."

I woke up some time later lying in an unfamiliar bed. I tried to move but I was taped up around my stomach making it impossible.

"Hey sleepy head," Mason greeted me, leaning in to kiss my forehead.

"Where are we?" I asked groggily.

"Wizard Hospital. You've been sleeping for hours."

I sat up. "Really?"

He nodded. "You needed the rest," he said.

I noticed he was in his human form and dressed in clean clothes. He must have ducked out while I was asleep.

"How's Christian?" I asked.

Mason smiled. "Fine, perfectly fine. He's a full human now."

"Do you think he'll be okay?"

"It'll be a tough adjustment but he'll get over it."

We smiled at each other for a moment before I sidled over in the bed and patted the empty space I'd made for him. He climbed into bed next to me and wrapped his left arm around my shoulder. I snuggled into his chest and intertwined our fingers.

"Oops, am I interrupting?"

My head popped up to see Daniel standing in my doorway. It was obvious he'd cleaned up too since the last time I had seen him.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him, slightly miffed at having my alone time with Mason cut short.

"Just thought I'd pop in to let you know that everything's been resolved. They've signed a treaty to say they're going to stop feasting on humans."

"Do you think they'll keep their promise?" I asked, more to Mason than Daniel.

"Most of them will," Mason answered. "They're pretty scared of the virus the wizards have now so that'll keep most of them on their toes. They actually happen to like being werewolves." He made a face as he finished the sentence.

Daniel nodded. "We can only hope." He turned to Mason. "You ready?"

Mason nodded and slid off the bed to stand up. I wanted to protest at the loss of his warm skin but I was distracted by him taking off his jacket and shirt. I took in his muscled body and stared for a moment before shaking out of my reverie.

"Uh, what's going on?" I asked as Mason moved over to me.

He kissed me with more force than usual and I reciprocated, running my fingers greedily down his bare chest.

He pulled away, flushed. "I'm doing this for us."

He lay down on the carpet with Daniel bent over him. Then Daniel drew back and plunged a syringe straight into Mason's heart.


	14. Chapter 14

**This is the last chapter**

**Hope you've enjoyed reading this as much as I've enjoyed writing it**

**

* * *

**

On instinct, I flung myself off the bed, ignoring the pain and stiffness of my body to throw myself at Daniel.

The syringe was in but the dose hadn't been administered yet. I pushed Daniel away and left it sticking out of Mason's chest. He stared up at me oddly, wondering why I'd stopped him. I reached over and pulled it out, throwing it across the room.  
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I yelled at him.

He sat up. "Why are you freaking out? Alex, I'm doing this for you. So we can grow old together."

His sweet words almost melted me but I had a point to make. "Don't you get it? I don't want you to do this for me."

"You don't?"

I took his hand. "Mason, if you want to be human, that's fine. But I don't want you to do it because you're afraid you'll lose me if you don't."

He looked embarrassed. He stared at our hands. "I just thought now that Christian's human…he could give you things I can't."

I almost slapped him but I thought that would ruin the moment. "Don't ever think that."

Mason looked slightly happier. I turned my glare to Daniel who was looking sheepishly at us.

I growled. "You are-"

"Leaving," he finished in a high voice, scurrying out of the room.

Mason grinned. "He was only helping."

Something was still bothering me. "What would you have done if the virus didn't work? The way it works, you have to die as a werewolf first and be revived as a human. What if you'd just died and not come back?"

"You would have married Christian," he replied simply with a grin.

I elbowed him playfully and accidentally put more force into it than I'd expected. He grimaced. "Only joking," he spluttered out.

* * *

To my surprise, no one yelled at me when we got home. My parents simply hugged me and told me they were glad I was alright. Then they told me I was grounded for all eternity. I guess you can't win every battle.

But the grounding didn't stop me sneaking out the night we got home. I met Mason and Christian downstairs where they were waiting for me. Christian swept me up in a hug before I went into Mason's arms and he kissed me joyfully. It was strange seeing them standing together without fighting or bickering. It seemed they were finally over everything that had been keeping them apart. Namely me.

"Just thought I'd let you know I'm leaving," Christian told me, and for the first time, I noticed the suitcases by his feet.

"Where are you going?" I asked him, still in Mason's embrace.

"Don't know," he replied, ruffling his dark hair. "Just want a fresh start."

"How are you? You know, how do you feel?" Mason asked.

"Free," Christian answered and I could see it in his face. He seemed happier than I'd ever seen him, almost glowing. Like a huge weight had been lifted off of him. "I had a good run as a werewolf. I got to see and learn more than anyone could possibly imagine over a century. Now it's time for me to really live. Take my chances because I'm not going to get any more."

I saw Mason studying his brother intently. I wondered if he was still thinking about that whole human thing. The growing up together thing really did sound appealing.

"I'll miss you Christian," I said, removing myself from Mason's arms to hug his older brother.

"I'll miss you too," he whispered in my ear. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For making me realise that there's still a real human being in me. I'd forgotten until you came around."

His words made me blush. "Goodbye Christian," I murmured, moving away.

Mason and Christian moved towards each other, awkwardly. "Good luck," Mason said stoically, holding out his hand.

Christian smiled and pulled his brother into a bear hug, almost suffocating him. Mason ducked out quickly and pulled Christian's arm behind his back. "Can't beat me now," Mason said with a grin.

"Okay, I give," Christian said and Mason let go.

Christian bent down to pick up his suitcases and started to walk off. But being Christian, he couldn't resist adding his own piece.

"By the time I visit next, I expect there to be puppies running around, got it?"

I laughed. "He's not serious, right?" I said to Mason, lowering my voice. "We won't actually have puppies, will we?"

Mason just chuckled and put his arm around me as he led me back inside. "We'll see."

* * *

The next day when my parents went out, Mason came over. We were sitting on the couch, watching TV. I snuggled into his side more but I felt something sharp in his jacket pocket. I reached in before he could protest and pulled out a familiar looking syringe.

"Care to explain?" I said, waving it in front of his face.

He sighed. "I took it just in case."

"Are you still thinking about it?"

"Yes!" he exclaimed. "Can you honestly tell me you aren't?"

"Maybe," I admitted. "Look, there's nothing I want more than to grow old with you but not at the cost of you losing who you are." I took a deep breath. "To be honest, when I first heard about it, I was disgusted. Being a werewolf is a part of who you are, it's not something you can cure. Sure, it helped Christian, but in totally different circumstances."

"Yeah and look how happy he is."

"Are you happy?" I asked him.

"Yeah, but-"

"No butts," I told him, putting a finger on his lips. "Unless it's yours," I added, trying to lighten the mood.

He laughed before worries creased his face. "But what happens when you turn eighteen next year, you'll be the same age as me and that's as old as I'll get."

"We'll worry about it then. If you're still sure this is what you want," I held up the needle, "then we can always talk about this option next year. Right now, let's just enjoy this. Enjoy being us." I swung my legs across his lap and cupped his chin.

He leaned and kissed me. I almost grew wings, took off and flew. This is how it's supposed to be, I realised. How it used to be. Without all the worries to bog us down, his kisses had me all aflutter like they used to. How they always would.

"Maybe we should try to see if we can make a puppy," he said, tongue poking out.

I giggled as his lips made a trail of kisses down my neck. "Easy there tiger, I mean wolf."

The door swung open and I almost jumped away, afraid my parents had come back early. But the sight of a red-haired person made my heart swell even further.

"Harper!" I yelled happily. I jumped off the couch and upended Mason while I was at it. He landed on the ground with a thump while I ran to my best friend and hugged her. I'd missed her more than she could imagine.

"Wow, you seem quite happy Alex. Did I miss anything while I was gone?" she asked.

The question made me want to burst out laughing. I caught eyes with Mason who was picking himself off the floor. He grinned at me.

"Nope, nothing much," I said with a smile.

Ah, if only she knew.


	15. Epilogue

**This is from Christian's P.O.V and it is also the basis for the sequel. Let me know if you want me to continue**. **  
It'll also feature Alex and Mason pretty prominently as well  
Enjoy!**

* * *

I was sitting at the bus stop by Waverly Place, suitcases at my feet, when she came by. Angelic face, blonde wavy hair, golden brown eyes; simply heaven on legs.

I rejoiced inside when she sat next to me. I was so glad I'd decided to rest up last night and leave today instead.

I pretended to be focused on the Wizard Newspaper I was reading, sneaking glances at her sad face every now and then. In all honesty though, I'd read the article in front of me a couple of time already out of boredom. It was about werewolves, interestingly enough, and how the virus they'd come up with had led them to be able to reverse the effects of a werewolf bite on humans and magical creatures.

The pretty girl sniffled and I decided it was my time to swoop.

"Hey, are you alright?" I asked her.

Inside, I scolded myself. Great opening line Chris.

"Yeah, I'm okay," she said, looking, acting surprised when she finally saw me.

"Do I know you?" I asked. "You seem familiar."

"Yeah, you do too but I don't think we've met."

"You from around here?" I asked.

She looked wistful. "I used to be. I came to visit someone but I don't think he wants to see me."

I was mildly shocked but I exaggerated. "Who wouldn't want to see you?"

"My ex-boyfriend," she answered glumly.

Uh-oh, baggage alert. Better suss out the situation quick.

"Bad breakup?" I inquired politely.

"No, I just haven't seen him in a long time and I'm pretty sure he's moved on. Like_ I_ should."

Sweet. Even if I'm only a rebound guy, I'm cool with that.

"Where are you headed now?" I asked her.

She shrugged, looking lost. "I don't know. I haven't been able to contact my parents and God knows where they are right now or what they're doing."

Just then the bus I was waiting for arrived. I shot her a parting glance before stopping dead. Take your chances Christian. Don't let this one slip away.

I stepped away from the bus and turned to her. "Do you want to get a coffee?"

She indicated the bus which was starting to leave. "Don't you have to be somewhere?"

"I'm in no rush," I said with a smile.

She nodded. "Okay."

We started to walk and I realised I didn't even know her name, nor had I introduced myself.

"By the way, I'm Christian-"

I stopped myself. I'd been about to say Greyback but that was the werewolf name handed down from generation to generation. It belonged to an identity I no longed possessed.

"Grey, Christian Grey."

Note to self: Do not forget to make sure Grey is the name on all of your licenses otherwise you are screwed if you get caught.

I held out my hand and she shook it. "It's nice to meet you Christian Grey. I'm Juliet, Juliet Van Heusen."


	16. Author's Note

**Author's Note**

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* * *

**

The sequel to 'Dangerously in Love' is up now so check it out and review!

**Life Like This**

A year later, Christian's back to visit his little brother with his new girlfriend. But little do they know, Mason, Alex and Justin have already met his new love before, and are quite well acquainted.  
Meanwhile, it is time for the Russo kids to contend the wizard competition but Alex learns that winning has its prices...


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